Democratic House candidate Janelle Bynum is facing an ethics complaint accusing her of failing to act on allegations of sexual harassment and assault against a man working with her campaign. The complaint was filed with the state’s Legislative Equality Office, alleging that Bynum had failed to report the allegations against a man working for the PAC that staffed her State Representative campaign in 2022. The complaint claimed that Bynum was dismissive and threatened the individual who raised the concerns. Bynum’s campaign spokesperson denied the allegations, stating that Bynum flagged the accusations to the accuser’s employer as soon as she became aware of them.
Text messages obtained by Fox News Digital show that Bynum appeared to show little interest in bringing attention to the allegations of impropriety against her former staffer, despite warnings from a former campaign manager. The former campaign manager expressed concerns about the abusive treatment of young women and threatened to report the actions if no action was taken. Bynum’s response raised questions about her handling of the situation, prompting further investigation into the matter by state police. The accused staffer has reportedly continued to be associated with FuturePAC, the campaign arm of Oregon House Democrats, after the 2022 campaign.
FuturePAC, a campaign arm of Oregon House Democrats, denied allegations that they were aware of concerns and allegations against the individual during the campaign but failed to address them. The spokesperson for FuturePAC stated that they take all allegations regarding staff conduct seriously and handle investigations through their organization. Oregon State laws require legislators to report allegations of sexual assault, especially those involving children and minors. Bynum faced criticism in 2019 for voting against a bill that would have given more time for victims of sexual assault to sue by expanding the statute of limitations for rape.
Supporters of Bynum, including the DCCC and EMILY’s List, defended her against the allegations, stating that she has been a consistent champion for the underserved and underrepresented. They accused FuturePAC and Oregon Speaker of the House Julie Fahey of failing to take responsibility for alleged HR failures in their organization. Bynum’s opponent, Republican Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has criticized her handling of the situation and called into question her commitment to protecting victims and survivors. Despite the controversy, experts believe that the race between Bynum and Chavez-DeRemer could tip the balance of power in the House, making it one of the most closely watched races in the country.
